Athletic shoe and method of making same



April 8, 1930.l L. l.. sTEED 1,753,872

ATHLETIC SHOE AND METHOD OF MAKING SAME Filed Feb. 23, 1929 Illlllll Patented Apr. `8, 1930 ,UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE LEONARD L. STEED, F JOHNSONCITY, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO ENDICOTT JOHNSON CORPORATION, OF ENDICOTT, NEW YORK, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK ATHLETIC sHoE AND METHOD or MAKING SAME Application lled February 23, 1929. Serial No. 342,185.

This invention is a novel improvement in athletic shoes and in the method of making same, and the principal objects thereof are to provide a vulcanized athletic shoe having a canvas or other fabric upper and having a vulcanized rubber sole, which shoe will be less expensive to manufacture than the usual athletic shoe of this type; to provide Va novel method of making such shoes so as toeliminate a number ofsteps necessary in the usual process heretofore used; and also to provide a stronger shoe with a smoother bottom, and a shoe in which a minimum amount v of upper stock is used.

In the usual method of making vulcanized athletic shoes, in general use, an upper of fabric is made, and placed in a machine which puts two string laces in the lacing eyelets of the upper which strings are used to retain a last in the upper. The inside of the bottom edge of the upper is then coated for a width of about of an inch with cement, and then the upper is pulled over a last upon the bottom of which has been placed an insole, the bottom of which has previously been cemented. The lower edge of the upper is then stuck down upon the exposed face of the insole by hand and by pounding and rolling it down. The canvas upper however bunches around the bottom of the insole making it necessary to skive all pieces of canvas where it bunches together, and then to putin a filler in order to even up the bottom as the canvas on the outside of the insole leaves an uneven edge. The shoe is then sent to a cementer where the outside of the lower edge of the upper is cemented about 3/1 of an inch hi h; and this cement is then allowed lto dry. rubber foxing about one inch wide is then applied all around the shoe and the excess foxing over the width of the cement is bent under and pressed down. The outsole is then applied and the whole shoe, with the last inside, is placed in a vulcanizer.

My novel process consists in making an upper such as heretofore made, except that no allowance for turning in under the insole is made, and stitching it directly to an insole,without applying any cement to the o inside of the upper, as above explained in the old method. A last is then placed inside of the shoe, which completes the process of lastmg. The insole and outside of the lower edge o f the upper is then cemented in one operation and allowed to dry and the rubber foxing and outer sole is then a plied. This method saves the operation of) lacing with, the two strings as above explained in the old method, and obviates the necessity of cementmg the inside of the bottom edge of the uppers and bottom of the insole by separate operations as previously explained. My method of lasting also eliminates the pressing, pounding and rolling of the upper to make same adhere firmly to the cemented lnsole, and it eliminates skiving the upper after the shoe is lasted, for there are no rough surfaces when the insole is applied to the upper by sewing. My novel method also saves the entire sole ller and the operation of cementlng and placing the filler sole on the shoe. It also saves approximately"15% of the upper stock used in the shoe by eliminating the entlre llasting allowance, will result 1n a much stronger shoe, as the stitches as well as the rubber foxing will hold the upper to the insole; also the shoe will have a much smoother bottom, as there is no liller and there are no rough edges of canvas to apply the outsole to.

I will explain the invention with reference to the accompanying drawing to enable others familiar with the art to adopt and use the same; and will summarize in the claims the novel features of construction, and novel combinations of parts, for which protection is desired.

In said drawings:

Fig. 1 s a perspective view of an athletic shoe having a vulcanized sole applied by my novel method.

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the shoe (inverted) showing the outsole partly broken away and showing the upper stitched to the cemented insole.

Fig. 3 is a transverse section through the ball of the shoe on line 3--3 Fig. 1.

As shown in the drawing, the shoe upper 1 is preferably made of canvas, but may be made of other suitable fabric or material, and 10 may be provided with lacing strips 2, ankle patches 3, and ankle strips 4 sewed or otherwise secured to the up er 1, and with the usual heel counter sti ener 5, and with a combined toe and tongue 6 and toe cap 7, the same being assembled in the usual manner to form the upper of a vulcanized athletic shoe. The lacing strips 2, ankle patches 3, ankle strips 4, and toe cap 7 may be made of vulcanized rubber, or of leather, or any other suitable material.

The insole 8 is cut or preformed to desired shape, and the upper is also preformed or trimmed so that the lower edge of the upper will neatly fit the periphery of the insole 8, entirely around the sole and heel portions of the insole, as shown in Fig. 2. The lower edge of the upper is then stitched directly to the periphery of the insole 8, such as by overand-over stitches 9 or thel like extending entirely around the insole, no portion of the insole extending outside the upper thus stitched, and no portion of the upper extending below and turned under the insole 8. The insole 8 is of suitable frictioned material o'r cemented material which will unite with the rubber outsole 14 upon vulcanization; and if desired a fabric sock sole 8a may be incorporated with the insole 8.

A last 10 is then placed inside of the shoe, which directly completes the process of lasting.4 This method saves the o eration of lac ing with the two strings as a ove explained in connection with the usual method; saves the cenienting of the uppers to the insole; also it eliminates the pressing, pounding, and rolling of the upper to make it adhere to a cemented insole, and eliminates skiving the upper after the shoe is lasted, since there are no rough surfaces when the insole is applied to the upper by sewing, as in my method shown in Fig. 2. My new method saves the entire sole filler customarily used heretofore and the operation of cementing and placing the filler sole on the shoe. My method also saves approximately 15% of the upper stock used in the shoe by eliminating the entire lasting allowance.

The lasting operation being thus completed the bottom of the insole 8 is then coated with cement 11, and in the same operation the lower edge of the lasted upper is also coated as at 12 with cement, about 5%: of an inch high, and the cement is then allowed to dry. A rubber foxing 13 about one inch wide is applied all around the upper and the excess foxing over the width of the cement 12 is bent under the insole 8 as at 13a as shown in Fig. 3.

A rubber whole outsole 14 is then applied as shown in Figs. 2 and 3, the same being cemented to the insole 8 and to the lower edge of the rubber foxing 13, covering the stitches 9. If desired the rubber foxings 13 could be formed integral with the sole 14. Also an extra heavy foxing 15 of rubber may be cemented around the front portion of the shoe as shown in Fig. 1, embracing the outer edge of the outsole 14 and the foxin-g 13. The whole shoe thus assembled with the last inside is then placed in a vulcanizer and the foxingA 13 and outsole 14 will upon vulcanization adhere firmly together and to the lower edge of the fabric upper and to the insole 8 and will form a unitary structure with the upper.

My method will produce a much stronger shoe than the ordinary athletic shoe of this type, for the reason that the combination of vulcanized foxings and stitches, which secures the upper to the insole, .is much stronger than a connection in which the stitches are omitted. Moreover the shoe has a much smoother bottom as there are no fillers or rough edges of canvas to lay the outsole on. My method also obviates the necessity of ceinenting the bottom of the insole and the outside of the bottom of the upper in separate operations.

I do not limit my invention to the exact form' shown in the drawing for obviously changes may be made therein within the scope of the claims.

I claim:

1. The herein described method of making vulcanized shoes, comprisin attaching the lower edge of an upper to t e periphery of an insole with the edge face of the upper terminating in the plane of the .lower face of the insole; placing the parts thus formed upon a last; applying a vulcanizable outsole to the insole and over the lower edge of the upper; and vulcanizing the shoe.

2. The herein described method of making vulcanized shoes, comprising stitching the lower edge of an upper to an insole; placing the parts thus formed upon a last; placing a vulcanizable oXing over the stitching around the lower edge of the upper; applying a vulcaiiizable outsole to the insole and to the lower edge of the foxing; and then vulcanizing the shoe.

3. The herein described method of making vulcanized shoes, comprising forming an upper to suit the contour of an insole; stitching the lower edge of the upper to the periphery of the insole with the edge face of the upper terminating in the plane of the lower face of the insole: placing a last in the parts thus formed; cementing a vulcanizable outsole to the insole and over the stitching at the lower edge of the upper; and vulcanizing the shoe.

4. The herein described method of making vulcanized shoes, comprising forming an upper to suit the contour of an insole; stitching the lower edge of the upper to the periphery of the insole; placing a last in the parts thus formed; cementing a vulcanizable foxing over the stitching around the lower edge of the upper; cementing a vulcanizable outsole to the insole and to the lower edge of the foxing; and vulcanizing the shoe.

5. The herein described method of making vulcanized shoes, comprising forming an upper to suit the contour of an insole; securing the lower edge of the upper to the periphery of the insole by stitching; placing a last in the parts thus formed; applying cement to the insole and to the outside of the lower edge of the upper in one operation; applying a vulcanizable foxing over the stitching around the cemented lower edge of the upper; applying a vulcanizable outsole to the cemented insole and to the lower edge of the foxing; and vulcanizing the shoe.

6. The herein described method of making vulcanized shoes, comprising forming an upper to suit the contour of an insole; stitching the lower edge of the upper to the periphery of the insole; placing a last in the parts thus formed; cementing a vulcanizable foxing over the stitchin around the entire lower edge of the upper; ending an excess lower to the insole and to the lower edge of the foxing.

11. An athletic shoe comprising an upper; an insole; stitches connecting the lower edge -of the upper to the insole; the edge face of the upper terminating in the plane of the lower face of the insole; a foxing covering the stitches and extending around the lower edge of the upper and vulcanized thereto; and an outsole vulcanized to the insole and to the lower edge of the foxing.

LEONARD L. STEED.

edge of the foxing under against the insole;

cementing a vulcanizable outsole to the insole' and to the lower edge of the foxing; and vulcanizing the shoe.

7. The herein described method of makingl vulcanized shoes, comprising formingV an upper to suit the contour of an insole; securing the lower edge of the upper by stitching to the periphery of the cemented insole; placing a lastin the parts thus formed; applying cement to the insole and to the outside of the lower edge of the upper in one operation; applying a vulcanizable foxing over the stitching around the cemented lower edge of the upper; bending any excess lower edge of -.the foxing under against the cemented insole; applying a vulcanizable outsole to the cemented insole and to the lower edge of the foxing; and vulcanizing the shoe. l

8. An athletic shoe comprising an upper; an insole; the edge face of the upper terminating in the plane of the lower face of the insole; a foxing lcovering the meeting edges of the insole and upper and vulcanized to the upper; and an .outsole vulcanized to the insole and to the lower edge of the foxing.

9. A shoe of the character specified comprising an upper; an insole; means connecting the lower edge of the upper to the periphery ofthe insole; the edge face of the upper terminating in the plane of the lower face ofthe insole; and an outsole vulcanized to the insole and to the lower edge of the upper and covering the connecting means.

10. Air athletic shoe comprising an upper; an insole; means connecting the lower edge of the upper to the periphery of the insole; the edge face of the upper terminating in the plane of the lower face of the insole; a foxing covering the connecting means aga vulcanized to the upper; and an outsole vulcanized 

